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Tennessee Volunteer National Statistical Rankings After Week 5

Surprise! The game against #5 Georgia didn't do much damage to the Vols' national statistical rankings. In fact, the run game actually continued to improve.

By Joel Hollingsworth
Scott Cunningham - Getty Images

Caveats.

Here are the latest NCAA statistical rankings for the Vols after the Akron game, grouped into three categories: Those things in which UT is in the Top 30, those things in which UT is in the Bottom 30, and everything else. First up, the Stuff UT Is Doing Well.

Categories In Which Tennessee
Is In The Top Quartile
Category

2011

 NCS GS FL AK GA MSB AL SC TR MO VAN KY
Passes Intercepted 86 1 3 11 2 2
Pass Sacks Allowed 40 29 14 13 7 4
Turnovers Gained 91 3 7 28 20 11
Passing Offense 50 13 9 14 8 14
Total Offense 104 23 15 30 17 18
Punt Return Yardage Defense 85 5 8 26 29 20
First Downs 98 40 30 44 18 21
Scoring Offense 106 43 15 37 23 22
Red Zone Efficiency 58 65 57 43 24 22
Defense Third-down Efficiency 57 57 27 18 17 28
Pass Efficiency Defense 48 28 13 29 17 30

Dropped out: Passing Efficiency.

New Arrivals: None.

If you believe that Georgia's defense is very good, then you should be encouraged that most of those categories held fast this week. Most of that, of course, is offense except for that Passes Intercepted cateogory. You can find the rest of the defensive statistics down below in the doghouse section.

Which brings us to a question. It's nice to be getting interceptions again, but at what cost? Is anyone ready to trade the exciting plays for less yards and less points and more of a bend-don't-break philosophy? I'm not sure I'm there yet. As frustrating as it is, I'm still chalking most of the defensive problems up to the 3-4 learning curve, and I like the idea of aggressive defense enough to give it time. But man, the rest of those defensive stats are depressing, and watching them happen is teeth-grindingly, head-shakingly frustrating.

#OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE

Categories In Which Tennessee
Is In The Bottom Quartile
Category

2011

 NCS GS FL AK GA MSB AL SC TR MO VAN KY
Turnovers Lost 20 23 51 55 69 94
Passes Had Intercepted 63 1 28 78 76 100
Pass Sacks 100 68 47 83 94 100
Red Zone Efficiency - Defense 47 58 95 108 104 110

New Arrivals: Turnovers Lost, Passes Had Intercepted.

Climbed out: Fumbles Recovered.

Well, Bray and the passing game is aggressive, too, apparently, and I'd say that interceptions is a side effect of all of those positive passing game and total offense stats up in the green room. Sure, it would be nice not to throw interceptions, but I'm not too sure I want Bray being that much more careful, either, if it means a bigger dropoff in reduced offensive output.

THE BIG FAT MIDDLE

And here's the rest, for tracking purposes.

Categories In Which Tennessee
Is In The Middle
Category

2011

 NCS GS FL AK GA MSB AL SC TR MO VAN KY
Kickoff Return Yardage Defense 7 76 63 64 53 33
Passing Efficiency 69 32 8 35 24 39
Fewest Yards Penalized Per Game 51 39 53 59 42 39
Punt Returns 61 59 51 54 38 41
Fumbles Lost 6 43 59 40 47 49
Rushing Offense 116 45 42 71 57 49
Offense Third-down Efficiency 56 43 49 63 67 54
Turnover Margin 59 4 18 48 41 55
Tackles for Loss Allowed 38 97 55 57 55 58
Net Punting 104 32 56 42 46 60
First Downs Allowed 18 71 79 77 70 62
Time of Possession 37 38 81 87 83 63
Kickoff Returns 41 38 14 23 55 65
Fumbles Recovered 71 66 60 79 97 70
Fewest Penalties Per Game 56 52 53 75 69 71
Offense Fourth-down Efficiency 91 58 54 38 76 74
Pass Defense 12 86 73 66 66 74
Tackles for Loss 67 65 53 62 81 74
Total Defense 28 70 48 77 68 79
Scoring Defense 36 54 38 64 61 81
Defense Fourth-down Efficiency 48 37 76 82 88 85
Rushing Defense 69 46 36 84 74 92

The biggest thing up there? The rushing offense climbed to #54 from #67. Against Georgia. That's very real progress. If this team finds true balance, that will go a long way toward giving the defense the time it needs to improve.

Players in the Top 30

Byron Moore is quietly putting together a very nice season in the interception department.

Player Stat 2011 NCS GS FL AK GA MSB AL SC TR MO VAN KY
Byron Moore Interceptions - 5 - - 6 5
Tyler Bray Total Passing Yards - 10 7 9 9 8
Tyler Bray Passing Yards Per Game - 10 11 13 9 14
Tyler Bray Points Responsible For - - 12 22 10 16
Tyler Bray Total Offense - 17 20 21 14 23
Tyler Bray Passing - 16 - 27 22 24
Tyler Bray Passing Efficiency - 30 5 28 22 35
Justin Hunter Total Receiving Yards - - 11 12 5 17
Justin Hunter Receptions Per Game - 9 14 19 13 25
Justin Hunter Receiving Yards Per Game - - 14 18 13 26
Derrick Brodus Field Goals - - - - 18 23
Curt Maggitt Forced Fumbles - - - - - 21
Cordarrelle Patterson Kickoff Returns - - 5 15 16 22
FORMERLY IN THE TOP 30
Brian Randolph Solo Tackles - - 13 - 29 -
Cordarrelle Patterson All-Purpose Running - - 8 23 -
Cordarrelle Patterson Total Receiving Yards - - 30 - -
Willie Bohannon Fumbles Recovered - - 17 - -
Eric Gordon Interceptions - 5 - - -
Prentiss Waggner Interceptions - 5 - - -
Marsalis Teague Interceptions - 5 - - -
Curt Maggitt Forced Fumbles - 6 - - -
Maurice Couch Forced Fumbles - 6 - - -
Byron Moore Solo Tackles - 11 - - -
Michael Palardy Field Goals - 13 - - -
Curt Maggitt Pass Sacks - 20 - - -
Cordarrelle Patterson Scoring - 25 - - -
Devrin Young Kickoff Returns - 30 - - -
2011
Austin Johnson Interceptions 23

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